The interaction of light with semiconductor devices is at the core of some important innovations. Optoelectronic devices, such as photovoltaics, photodiodes, and imagers, are used in various technologies, such as for example, solar cells, digital cameras, optical mice, video cameras, cell phones, and the like. Typically, many semiconductor photodetecting devices are formed from a silicon material. When thick enough, silicon is known to absorb a majority of incident visible light having wavelengths in the range of about 300 nm to 900 nm. These factors, combined with its low cost, abundant supply, non-toxicity and the quantum efficiency in the visible spectrum make silicon a top choice for light detecting. However, because of its indirect bandgap, one major limitation to silicon for optical detectors or optical/electrical energy converters is a typical requirement for a relatively thick device layer (typically >100 microns for common devices) to achieve sufficient optical absorption.